Study Session
by GoAwayAnna
Summary: AU: Rick and Kate are both students at Stanford and are studying in the library when another couple begin having sex somewhere nearby. Per request, I'll add some more.
1. Library Studying

_I'm so not ready for this test,_ Kate thought to herself as she marched toward the library. It was the middle of the semester, the thick of it, and her roommate clearly did not take her studies as seriously as Kate did. Therefore, the library would be her safe haven, the place to study without blaring music, random laughter due to Netflix, or the smell of food that drove her to distraction. Luckily, the library wouldn't close for another three hours, which was just enough time to get some serious, hard-core studying done for tomorrow morning's exam.

Walking into the library, she made her way to the creepier upper floors to hopefully find an empty table or study room. Unfortunately, the library at Stanford was never empty, so she had to settle sitting on the other end of the table from this kind of cute guy. He glanced at her as she sat her bag on the table and she tossed a smile at him, unpacking the essentials: water bottle, laptop, notes, and earphones. Everything was going well for about an hour until she switched her headphone from her right to her left ear (she only wore one while studying) and heard someone breathing rather loudly.

She looked at the dude sitting across and down from her at the other end of the table as if to say _Hey, man, I'm trying to study._ But he just stared back at her as if to say the same thing. She looked back at her laptop and shook it off. Just minutes later, though, she heard a moan. Clearly, the guy heard it, too, because his head shot up the same time hers did.

Not wanting to draw attention to them, Kate scooted to the seat immediately to her left and whispered to her table mate, "Is that what I think it is?" An awkward smile cracking her serious expression. Just then, they both heard a groan. Obviously, a couple was having a good time somewhere nearby.

"I think someone's having sex right now," he said, completely unable to comprehend what was going on. Well, he was also a little distracted by this random girl's beauty. They both laughed quietly as they heard a rhythmic squeaking coming from a nearby bookshelf. Both faces scrunching, she scooted back into her own chair.

"Goodness," Kate said, finding it surprisingly easy to make fun of two strangers with this other stranger. Apparently, the couple heard them laughing because things quieted down for a while. Kate finally went back to studying, but then heard the rhythmic squeaking just a few short minutes later followed by a squeal which was abruptly cut off. Kate looked up, starting to get annoyed at the interruption when she saw that the cute boy was looking at her. She looked at him, looked at the stacks, and rolled her eyes to signify her displeasure.

Honestly, it was getting hard to concentrate. The squeaking, the moaning, the groaning coming from the obnoxious couple brought a mortifying flush to her cheeks and making her a little uncomfortable in her seat. The worst part was that the guy at her table seemed to be unable to take his eyes off her. Kate thought about getting up and leaving, but decided to just put her other headphone in, angle away from the guy, and press on.

Unfortunately, the copulating couple had other plans as they seemingly no longer cared who heard them. After one rather loud moan from the male, Kate's eyes shot of their own accord to the guy sitting across from her. As soon as he made eye contact with her, they both looked away, both blushing furiously.

Finally, in a desperate attempt to drown the others out, she spoke up. "I'm Kate."

He could barely look at her. "Rick," he shot back. "What are you studying?" The tension flowing through their conversation was nearly palpable.

"Constitutional Law," Kate said. "I'm pre-law." Moans, groans, and squeaks continued, becoming more frantic. "I really wish they would just get off already. I have nowhere else to study."

He met her eyes with a shocked expression. Maybe he wasn't used to girls being so open when talking about sex. "Uh…" he struggled. "I mean, it is really annoying."

"Yeah, so—uhm. . ." It was finally happening. The couple getting buck in the book stacks was finally finishing up, meaning they were now extremely audible, panting, and clearly saying slightly dirty things. The conversation between Kate and Rick came to a screeching halt as they held eye contact while the other couple worked through their orgasms. Rick and Kate were both too shocked and worked up to move in any way, shape or form.

When it finally quieted down and the couple left, Kate very awkwardly shifted her gaze back to her computer and continued to study for the hour she had left at the library. Rick kept pausing in his own studies to glance at her, which made her even more uncomfortable. Kate felt like she couldn't leave, but couldn't bring herself to look at Rick, either. The awkwardness was literally holding her hostage with Rick, the stranger, with whom she had basically just listened to a porno. She kept seeing his face and hearing those noises, and it was much too much. She assumed he was thinking the same thing because he kept shifting in his seat.

At long, long last, the library worker came up to their floor. Before she could speak, though, Rick and Kate both stood up, shoved their belongings in their backpacks and looked at one another for the briefest moment before walking in opposite directions without a word.


	2. The Afternoon After

Despite the struggle that was studying in the library last night, her test went surprisingly well. She felt pretty good about it and tried not to let that worry her. After the test at 9 this morning, she had to sit through another class, a boring gen-ed in which she was not the least bit interested, and now she had an hour for lunch before her next class. She made her way across campus with her iPhone playing Sleeping At Last at a reasonable volume, strolling past the science building, the education building, the Performing Arts Center, finally making her way into the dining hall.

She swiped her meal card and grabbed some food, not being very picky, already mentally worn out from the exertion of the test this morning. 30 minutes to herself was all she wanted to relax and unwind. Finding an empty table for two in the corner, she made her way to down time. She sat blissfully alone and picked at her lunch, checking her phone for texts and emails.

In the middle of responding to a particularly strange text from one of her friends, someone sat down across from her. She looked up and turned an embarrassing shade of pink as the face across from her had quickly become one she associated with sex: Rick. Shit.

"Sorry," he said, barely making eye contact with her. "You were the only person I recognized in the whole dining hall. I can tell you probably just want to eat your lunch in peace, but eating by myself makes me horribly uncomfortable." He popped a french fry into his mouth and glanced out the window.

She looked at him for a minute and felt a sort of warmth spread through her. "No, it's fine," she said a little hesitantly. She finished texting her friend back and then put her phone down. The tension between them was significant.

He startled her a little from her thoughts when he asked, "How'd your test go?" At least he was making eye contact with her now.

Throwing him a small smile, she replied. "I think it went well. Of course that makes me a little nervous." He chuckled and she liked it.

"I'm sure you did fine," he replied. "I'm sure last night's study session helped a bit."

She nearly sprayed her mouthful of water across the table on him. "Oh, of course!" she said with a laugh. "That was the best studying I've ever done, or something like that."

He had a nice laugh and a nice smile. "Yeah, I didn't get much done, either. We should have played a prank on them or something."

"Ew! Like what?" She asked, her face scrunching around a smile. Despite their awkward meeting, conversation with Rick was surprisingly easy.

"I don't know!" He exclaimed. "Maybe we could have—" he paused to think, then he laughed at himself as he finished his thought. "What if, right as they were. . .you know, having their standing-O," she covered her face with her hands, "we both just screamed really loudly."

Her hands dropped to the table and she looked at him as if to say _What in the world?_ She laughed nonetheless, and his eyes crinkled with his smile. "I don't even know how to respond to that," Kate said to him. But the more she thought about it, the funnier it seemed. While he was watching her think through his idea, he thought about how pretty she was. She had long hair that rested on her shoulders in gentle waves, amazing hazel eyes, and a completely dazzling smile. Maybe he might try to 'run into her' some more.

Her explosive laughter caught him off guard. He laughed with her for a moment before settling back into the comfortable flow of conversation. "Okay, I like that idea," she amended.

They continued plotting against future couples and eating their lunch. They were both pleasantly surprised at how easy the conversation had become. The also both even got a little flirtatious toward the end of their meals.

Finally, she looked at her phone to check the time, surprised to see that she only had 20 minutes to get to her next class.

"Crap, I gotta go," she said. She looked at him for a second before saying, "Maybe I'll see you around?"

He nodded and smiled.

"Bye, Rick," she said as she started walking away with a little extra flaunt.

He smiled as his words chased her away. "Bye, Kate."


	3. Highlighter

Kate was sitting on her friend's bed waiting for everyone else to finish getting ready for the party. She watched as her friends did each other's hair and advised about makeup. Luckily, tonight was the highlighter party at Phi Tau so the only thing that was really required was a white shirt. It was 9:50 and the party started at 10, so, naturally, her friends had about 40 more minutes of primping to do. Kate liked to keep it simple and her friends had long since learned not to push her to girl herself up.

She wore a pair of her shorter denim shorts, her hair curled with a glittery headband, and a white t-shirt that some might say she destroyed. She had cut both the sleeves and the bottom half of the shirt into strings that danced around her whenever she moved; it mostly covered her pink bra. She rounded out the look with a pair of hot pink Chucks. Honestly, she felt hot; not too slutty, but just tempting enough.

At long last, her friends were ready to head out. . .almost. Megan pulled a bottle of Absolut from the freezer and a few shot glasses from the cabinet. "Here we go, ladies!" The girls whooped and laughed, each throwing back a few shots to get loosened up. Kate could feel the vodka slide down, the fumes exhaled with her breath. The next shot brought the warmth through her veins and the numbness around her lips which indicated a nice buzz. Time to go. Putting the goods back in the fridge, they made their way out of Megan's apartment and toward Phi Tau.

The cooler evening air helped keep her level as they made their way down the block talking and laughing, squealing occasionally at something scandalous another said. Kate felt good. She walked next to Megan and they talked about their weeks, talked about what they wanted to accomplish tonight, talked about nothing at all. Feeling too good to simply _walk_ to the frat house, Kate added a little dance to her step and started singing No Diggity, at which point another friend, Kayleigh joined in enthusiastically, dancing and laughing right along with her.

The guy working the door at Phi Tau joined in while they were still a considerable distance away, making them laugh even harder. "Aaaaayyyyy!" Kate yelled and pointed at him, a sort of collegiate salute. Once they reached the door, the guy smiled at them and welcomed them with, "Ladies." They showed him their IDs and made their way into the house. Since they entered upstairs, it was still light, but the whole place reeked of sweat, alcohol, and boys. _Kind of a pleasant smell,_ Kate thought to herself.

Making their way down to the basement, there were two paths to take: left to hang out, talk and play beer pong; or right to dance and have random people write all over you with highlighters. . .Kate decided that her two shots would be danced off too quickly, so she opted to turn left and get a drink. She'd let lose for real before she danced until she was sober and dehydrated.

As the room opened up before her, she looked for a familiar face. Most of her friends went to the dance room, and the one that had followed her had found her love interest. There weren't any familiar faces yet, but she did find the drinks. The guy behind the table poured her a glass of whatever they had made and she began mindlessly walking around the room, listening to conversations, seeing some of the downright crude outfits the girls were wearing and silently correcting their fashion choices. She was making one last round when she heard a familiar voice behind her. She whipped around.

There he was, talking to one of his brothers. "Rick?" Who knew he was even in Phi Tau?

He flashed her a brilliant smile that had her lips turning up before she knew what was happening. "Kate! Hey!" he responded, making his way through the couple that was talking between them.

"Hi! How are you?" She stood with her cup in one hand, close to her chin, and her other hand supporting her elbow. Why? Whatever.

Because it was so loud in the small-ish room, he had to stand closer to her than he normally would have. "I'm doing good. I'm not having as much fun as you, I think, but still."

She laughed a little at his remark. "What makes you think I'm having more fun than you? Do you see me with anyone?" She looked around for emphasis.

He sighed dramatically, looking at her cup. "Not a person, but a cup." She looked confused. "I'm on security tonight." _Ah,_ she thought. "No drinking for me. At least until everyone leaves, that is."

Kate just eyed him for a moment, thinking to herself. He waited for her to finish her thoughts. "I bet you cry when you get drunk."

"I most certainly do _not_!" he replied with mock offense. "I'll have you know that I am an awesome drunk. Really funny." She smiled and conceded with a nod. "What about you," he continued. "What type of drunk are you?"

She eyed him up and down, took a sip of her drink and threw him a thousand-watt smile. "Let's find out, shall we?"

An hour and a half later, Kate was pretty drunk (but still in control). She and Rick had found an open couch and were currently sitting surrounded by several of Kate's empty jello shot cups. They were talking, watching the party goers, making up stories for the interesting ones, and laughing loudly with one another.

Another few minutes passed and her friends approached them. "Girl, where have you been?" Megan asked.

"Oh, hey, guys!" Kate laughed as she slapped Rick's shoulder. "Sorry, I found Rick, here, and I forgot about you!"

Megan's eyes widened and she smiled at Kate. "I see that! Are you ready to leave?"

Kate's face scrunched with displeasure. "Noooooo!" she whined, throwing her head into her hands and then meeting her friends' faces again. "I'm fine. You guys go ahead and I'll come back later."

Her friends just looked at her. Yeah right.

"You guys, I swear I'm fine. I don't wanna leave yet! Pleeeeease?" Kate got whiny when she was drunk.

"Uhm," Rick spoke up, "I can bring her home. I'm on security so I haven't been drinking. I'll have her home in one piece, I promise."

Now normally, her friends would have said no immediately, grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her out of the house. However, she gave them a look that sort of said _Even though I'm drunk, I'm okay enough to trust this guy._ They backed off and let her stay. She did need to sober up, though. It was getting late and she didn't want a hangover in the morning. Therefore, it was time to dance.

Looking Rick dead in the eye and grabbing his hand, Kate said: "It's time to see how good of a dancer you are." He smiled behind her as she led him to the room to the right.

Since it was so late, there were slightly fewer people which meant the music was more personal as opposed to the normal party songs. This meant that the song that was currently playing was Grillz, from when Jesus was a boy. Kate's laugh wafted back to Rick as they made their way into the middle of the dance floor. He was pleasantly surprised when she didn't turn her back to him and grind up against him like most girls were doing to those around him. Instead, she shocked him by grabbing his hands and just swaying to the music, bobbing back and forth, tossing their arms around, totally carefree.

He laughed as he watched her unabashed dancing; it made him happy to know that she really didn't care what other people thought of her. She was dancing like a goof, but she was happy dancing like a goof, and that made him happy. Huh. . .

Kate kept making eye contact with Rick as they danced through six different songs, talking and laughing, getting highlighted on, being ridiculous and not caring at all. She'd never let him know this, but Kate had been using her drunken state as an excuse to be a little extra touchy. She couldn't help but think there was a spark there.

Eventually, the party ended, Kate was sober, and she found herself in Rick's car, chilled from the late night air and lack of her liquid jacket. He noticed the goosebumps and offered her the jacket he had snagged from his room before they had left. She didn't want to take it, but she was that cold; she slipped it on with a "Thanks." He drove her back to her apartment, the conversation flowing easily.

"Thanks for tonight," she said before she got out. "I had fun."

He nodded and smiled. She had pink or orange highlighter on her cheek. It was cute. "So did I." She got out of the car and started to walk into her building when she heard him call through the window. His jacket.

Turning around, she peeled the jacket off and offered it to him through the opening. "Sorry! I almost forgot."

He smiled at her. "Put it back on. You can get it to me later." She couldn't stop herself from grinning like a dork.

"Thanks," she said, looking at her feet. She was suddenly very shy.

"I know a more meaningful way for you to thank me." She looked at him uneasily. Before she could respond, though, he said, "Give me your phone number."

She chuckled and said, "You know I'm completely sober now, right?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, but that doesn't change the fact that I want your phone number. I like hanging out with you."

She thought for a moment, staring at him through squinted eyes. "Okay, Rick," she said, deciding to let herself be wooed by this guy: Rick. She smiled again and reached into his car for his phone. She glanced at him as she added her number and was pleased to find him watching intently. Once she finished, she purred a soft _See ya,_ put his jacket back on, turned around, and went inside.

Rick watched her the whole way.


	4. Frozen Breathless

It had been three days since the party and Rick still hadn't text her. Kate was sitting on her friend's couch doing homework as she let the thought evaporate. She dove back into Environmental Ethics, losing herself for about an hour. Her stomach growled and Megan offered her anything in the kitchen. As if it heard her stomach, her phone lit up with a text from an unknown number.

 _Come to the house. I need your help._

She stared at her phone for a second before it dawned on her. _Rick?_ she replied, having no idea who else would text her something like that.

His reply was just like him, or what little she knew of him—what she thought was just like him. It just said _Of course. Now get over here, quick._

Nerdy as it was, the fact that he used proper grammar, even in his text messages, was kind of a turn on. Despite the fact that his messages seemed urgent, she was excited to see him; she couldn't help herself. She began throwing her things into her backpack while Megan protested. "Sorry, Meg!" Kate apologized as she made her way to the door. "I'll text you later! I love you!"

"Yeah, whatever," Megan said unenthusiastically right before the door shut behind Kate. Kate grinned to herself at her friend's disappointment as she made her way toward the Phi Tau house. The whole way there, she wondered what could be so urgent. She barely knew Rick, yet he had text her like she needed to rescue him. _I can handle that_ , Kate thought as she approached the house, the thought startling her a bit.

 _I'm here. Let me in._ The doors were locked for security. She paced back and forth in front of the door, becoming more and more worried with each passing second. She could feel her palms beginning to sweat and her heart rate increase. What was taking him so long? Why was he so urgent with her? Was he okay? Why did she care so much? The pit of dread in her stomach grew until. . .

Finally, _finally,_ he opened the door. She rushed over to him with a near panicked look on her face and looked him up and down, looking for blood. "What's going on? Are you okay?" Why did she sound so breathless?

He was so relaxed! He actually smiled at her. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, opening the door to allow her passage. "Come on in."

As she walked past him, she eyed him, trying so hard to read his eyes. She failed. Following her inside, he led her up a flight of stairs, down a short hallway, and into his room. She passed the threshold, did a scan of the room, saw that nothing was on fire, and finally asked, "What's the deal, Rick? Why'd you call me over here?"

He sat down on his bed and looked at her, but didn't say anything just yet. It was then she noticed the pizza sitting on his desk. The look she gave him was one he could only describe as exasperated. "I needed you to come help me eat this pizza. There was no way I could finish it by myself."

Kate stared at him, refusing to believe he had put her through this worry for a _pizza._ Finally, she found her voice. "You have _got_ to be kidding me right now." Rick's hair flopped into his eyes as he shook his head. "I was worried sick!" Kate yelled. "I thought something was really wrong with you!"

"I didn't realize you cared so much, Kate." His face was smug. Too smug.

"Well I generally care about my fellow mankind, and we _have_ spent some time together." Her mood was lightening as she realized that the whole situation was kind of cute. "I actually consider us friends." She stared at her shoes as she said it so she didn't see his smile.

"Hence the pizza," was his reply. "Now, come on. Sit, eat. I also have Frozen in the DVD player right now, in case you're interested."

Kate's eyes were the size of the moon and her smile was radiant. "Only if you wanna have a sing-along!"

Rick laughed at her enthusiasm and said, "Is there any other way?"

Her tongue poked through her teeth as she smiled. Bouncing a little with excitement, she dropped her bag, picked up a piece of pizza, and plopped down next to him on the bed. "Wait!" The thought hit her like a Mac truck. "You _own_ Frozen?"

Rick gestured at the tv as he replied with, "Well, yes! I have good taste in movies." Kate smiled at his confidence and decided not to make fun of him. #Feminism

As the movie began, Kate leaned over to Rick, eyes never leaving the screen, and said, "When Elsa, sings 'Let It Go', you should fully expect me to get emotional."

He didn't laugh, just leaned over and whispered, "I won't judge if you won't."

She turned, very slowly, to see if he was joking or not. He was not.

The movie played on and they ate pizza. Rick and Kate quoted the funny parts, 'Awwed' at the cute parts, and sang the duets. . .as duets. . .perfectly. She loved his voice. It was strong and clear with a decent range.

He was surprised at her voice as she sang 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman'. She sounded nice and he found himself wanting her to continue even though the song was over. He grinned at her as she sighed after the song was over.

They continued watching the movie like that until it was time for Elsa to have her awakening. The excitement between Rick and Kate was palpable. Kate was bouncing, rubbing her hands back and forth on her jeans, and Rick was wringing his hands. The music began. Kate got goosebumps. Elsa started singing, but neither of the two sang; they just watched, eyes wide, jaws dropped, bodies tense with anticipation.

 _The past is in the past!_

Kate pounded the bed to the beat of the music.

 _Let it go!_

"Yeahhhhhhhh!" Kate screamed, jumping off the bed, pumping both fists in the air, jumping up and down. "YOU GO ELSA! YOU _LET_ THAT SHIT GO! YOU DO YOU, GIRL! YOU. DO. YOU."

Rick was shocked. He sat on the bed, the movie completely forgotten as he stared at Kate, awed at her passionate reaction to that song. He got drunk on her in that moment. He had never seen someone that passionate about this scene of the movie, which made him wonder what other things she was passionate about. . .and what else caused her to shout like that.

Apparently she realized that he was staring at her and that she had let her freak flag fly, because she immediately shrank into herself and studied a spot on the carpet.

"Woah," Rick said, still staring at her as if she were the crown jewels right there in his room. "That was awesome. You flipped shit just now."

Kate's face turned a lovely shade of pink as she sat back down on the bed. "Yeah, well this is the _best_ message to give to kids, or anyone for that matter. Don't hide who you are. Be yourself and the things that you think make you unlovable are the things that actually make you the most special."

Taking a chance, Rick grabbed Kate's hand. "You're totally right. That is the best message. And I think your reaction to that message makes you pretty special." His smile was gentle.

She looked at him then, seeing a new softness and maybe a glimmer of some sort in his eyes. Emotion welled up within her and she said, very softly, "Really? You think—" Kate was too self-conscious to finish the thought.

"I do," he said, removing his hand from hers and turning to rest against the headboard. Kate watched him before hesitantly joining him, secretly enjoying the back support and sitting closer to Rick than she needed to.

The rest of the movie was uneventful, except that Frozen is always remarkable. They continued to sing the songs and quote the lines, becoming lost in their little movie-night bubble. The movie finally ended and Kate told Rick she needed to go study for yet another exam coming up. He conceded and walked her to the door. As neither of them were really ready for their impromptu evening to come to an end, they lingered outside the frat house and made small talk.

Finally, Kate checked the time on her phone and said, "Okay, Rick, I really have to go now."

"Yeah, I know." He was utterly unenthusiastic. That made her happy, made her feel all warm and fuzzy.

In that moment, Kate got brave. She shut her brain off and stepped into Rick's personal bubble, keeping a molecule's width between them. Kate inhaled Rick's scent and almost lost her balance. She opened her eyes to find that he was staring at her; it was the most intense look she'd ever seen and suddenly, she couldn't breathe.

"Kate," Rick whispered, eyes closing to save himself from sensory overload.

Just because she couldn't breathe didn't mean she couldn't move. She closed the distance between them, barely pressing her lips to his. It was the softest, sweetest kiss, but she could have sworn there was an actual electric current running between them. The kiss lasted just for a second, but it felt shorter and longer than that, somehow. Either way, both Rick and Kate knew they were in trouble.

They were both breathless as Kate broke away from him and, once again, made extremely intense eye contact with Rick. She began backing away from him, the smallest of smiles on her face. "I'll pick the next movie," she said with a wink before turning around and heading home.


	5. Date Night

Kate's heart was pounding a little as she finished preparing the shrimp alfredo. Rick was coming over for their second official date, third unofficial date. The first one she didn't count because she thought she was supposed to be saving him from some horrible disaster; however, it had been a wonderful evening. . .especially that kiss. Her stomach did a flip at the memory and she smiled to herself.

There was a knock at the door. Was that Rick? He was early! She looked at the clock on the stove. _Okay, so he's not_ that _early._ She glanced down at her outfit to make sure she looked okay; her purple sweater, dark washed skinny jeans, and black boots were on point. Satisfied with her look, she walked to the door and swung it open.

And there he stood. He was tall, which she knew, but it hit her all over again as the whole picture of him stood in front of her. He was wearing a white and blue plaid shirt, blue jeans, and dark blue shoes. Graciously, he allowed her to look him up and down. However, that didn't stop the warmth that spread into her cheeks, causing her face to turn a light pink.

"Hey," she said, opening the door for him.

"Hi." Rick walked into her apartment after kissing her cheek in greeting. She hoped he couldn't hear her heart pounding. "It smells delicious," he said as he made his way toward the kitchen. Seeing what she had prepared for him, he turned back to her and smiled. "Can't wait to taste it."

She felt self-conscious for some reason, so instead of dwelling on his compliment, she simply smiled at him and went back to the kitchen to finish cooking. "Please, make yourself at home."

Having gotten her permission, he began to wander through the apartment while she plated their food. He noticed the small table set up in the dining area. He chuckled at the scene she had set up there: two place mats, two wine glasses, two candles, and a small centerpiece consisting of some sort of yellow flower. Romantic.

Just then, she entered the room carrying the two plates of food. "This is amazing, Kate," he said, touched by the amount of effort this must have taken; the amount of effort she was willing to put in for him.

Setting the plates on the table, she smiled and admired her work. "Thanks." She went back to the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of wine for them to share. When she was done pouring the wine, she felt Rick's hand on the small of her back and tried her hardest not to shiver at the contact.

"Shall we?" Rick asked as he made his way to one of the chairs, pulling it out for her. She sat the bottle of wine down in the window between the kitchen and the dining area, then took the seat he offered her.

She waited for him to take the seat across from her and then held out one of her hands for him to take. He took it with a questioning look. "Thank you for coming," Kate said. Rick smiled and nodded his head. "I'm really glad we met."

"Me, too," Rick said. Kate let go of his hand, so he assumed it was time to eat. He took his first bite and almost cried because it was so good. "Oh, Kate, this is amazing!"

She laughed at his passionate outburst. "Thank you! I'm glad you like it."

The rest of the dinner passed with pleasant chitchat flowing between them without awkwardness. Once the food was gone, Kate smiled widely at him.

"What?" Rick was looking at her cautiously.

"Oh, nothing," she replied innocently. "I'm just thinking about how much you're going to love the movie I picked out."

He looked at her, even more confused, but followed her faithfully into the living room, walking maybe a little too closely behind her. She didn't seem to mind, though. They sat down on the couch and she turned on the tv and DVD player. When the main menu appeared, Rick laughed loudly and looked at Kate like a kid in a candy store.

"Seriously?"

His laugh was infectious and Kate found herself laughing right along with him. "Yes!" she replied. "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is the epitome of hilarious! All those food puns? Gets me every time."

Even though the couch was pretty large, they were sitting so close their legs were touching. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him. They watched the movie like that: touching more than necessary, but innocently, laughing with one another, and trying to come up with their own lame food puns. When the credits started rolling, Rick spoke up.

"Well, I guess I oughta go."

Kate didn't want him to leave. "You wanna watch another movie? I have a lot; there's bound to be something you'd like."

Rick beamed at her. "Yeah, I'd like that. But let's go get some ice cream first, yeah?"

Her tongue peeked through her teeth as she smiled at him, which caused his stomach to do its own little flip-flop. "Yes, please!"

They went to ColdStone and brought their ice cream back to Kate's apartment. They popped in the next movie, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, and watched it just like they had the first. When it was over, Kate didn't even let him suggest leaving.

"What's next?" she asked as she took his empty ice cream cup and threw it away. He joined her in front of her DVD collection and pondered the choices for a moment.

"What about," he started, "Look Who's Talking?" Rick looked over the DVD cover and read the synopsis on the back. "I've never seen it."

Kate's jaw dropped and Rick was pretty sure time stopped. "What?" Kate asked in a low, threatening voice.

"I, uh—" Rick started, trying to choose his words very carefully. "I've never seen Look Who's Talking."

She didn't even say anything, just snatched the movie out of his hand and popped it in the DVD player. "Well we'll fix that, then, won't we?"

He loved her sass. "Yeah," was all he said, too lost in his thoughts. They both got sleepy about half way through this movie; it was almost 2 a.m. Luckily, they didn't have class tomorrow.

Rick could tell the night was catching up to Kate when she rested her head on his shoulder. Several minutes later, he noticed that her eyes were closed. Was she asleep?

The movie ended, and he took the chance, lowering her onto the couch. She didn't stir. He looked at her then, noting the peaceful half-smile that she wore, even to sleep. After covering Kate with a blanket, he gathered his coat and headed for the door. Right before he could step out, though, Kate called out to him.

"Rick?"

He turned around and smiled at her. "Sorry! I tried not to wake you. I had a really good time tonight."

She sat up and held out her hand to him. "Would it be weird if I asked you to stay the night?"

Apparently, his face was more shocked than he realized because she dropped her hand and said, "Obviously it would be."

He closed the door and made his way back to the couch. "No," he stammered. "I mean, are you sure you're ready for this next step? We haven't been dating very long at all. I don't know that I would be comfortable."

She shot him a confused look. "What do you mean 'next step' Rick?"

"Uhm. . . sex?"

She slapped him on the arm. "Rick!" He held his hands up in defense. "I don't want to have sex with you!"

He chuckled and asked, "Well how was I supposed to know that? You sounded so serious!"

Kate laughed at him. "Not sex, just cuddling. I liked snuggling up into you on the couch just now, so I wanted to see what it would be like to sleep, _literally_ , with you holding me." His face showed his relief and understanding. "But if you're uncomfortable with it. . ." she trailed off.

Rick kissed her then. There was no hesitance, no awkwardness, just spark. She kissed him back, placing a hand on his cheek and deepening the kiss. She opened her mouth to allow his tongue entrance, softly moaning into him. He wound a hand into her hair and kissed her passionately.

Finally, both running out of oxygen quickly, they broke apart and just looked at one another. "Wow," Kate whispered. He smiled at her.

"And _that_ is why I cannot stay with you tonight, Kate," he said to her, rather unexpectedly. She looked confused, so he continued. "I really like you, Kate, and I think that we have something here." She smiled and agreed. "But," he added, "if I stay with you tonight, I'm afraid something more might happen, and I don't want to ruin what we have just because we can't stop it."

Kate's face glazed over momentarily as she realized that he was completely right. They were too attracted to one another to think that they could innocently spend the night together. She said as much to him.

Rick took her hand. "It's just too soon. I want to play it safe with us. I think we're worth playing it safe." She smiled at him and kissed him again.

XXXXXXXXXXX

As Rick crawled into his own bed that night, he both applauded and kicked himself for gently turning Kate down. He did want her. He wanted her _badly_ , but he was too afraid to ruin their relationship. Or at least that's what he told himself. He'd never let on as to why he really turned her down and why he was becoming fearful of his feelings toward her.


	6. Anna Karenina

Rick was a virgin. _That_ was why he couldn't sleep with Kate: he didn't know how. Okay, well, he knew how sex worked, but he didn't think that he could do it well enough for her. He wanted Kate to have the best of everything.

It had been five weeks since they had gone on their first date—the night he took her out for hibachi and then to a bar for drinks and dancing. It had been such a great time; they had laughed and talked and danced until they were both exhausted. He kissed her goodnight, gently, and then went home and couldn't sleep.

Now, though, they saw each other almost every day. They often ate dinner together, at least called each other once a day, and texted each other in between. It had been just over a month and he knew he was falling hard. He thought about her every day, what she was wearing, how she had done her hair, the way she smelled, what she would want to eat that night. (The girl loved her food.) He imagined what she was thinking in her pre-law classes; she was so smart.

They still hadn't had sex yet. He was too afraid he wouldn't be good enough for her. They had done some other things, and a part of him knew that she would be okay with whatever he had to offer her, but, like he said earlier, he wanted only the best for Kate.

He could tell that she wanted him. Every time they would hang out, staying just a little later than necessary at her apartment or his frat house, she would get touchy. They would make out and fool around a little, but he had never removed her underwear, trying to prolong the inevitable for as long as possible, partly to comfort himself, partly to draw out her anticipation. He could tell she was wearing thin.

One night, they were kissing passionately on her couch when she reached down between them, grasping at him through his jeans. Trying not to moan, he jumped back. "Kate," he panted. "What are you doing?"

She looked at him with eyes dark with lust, but bright with. . .adoration? "Rick," she whispered. "I want you."

"I know," he said. He held her head still as he kissed her chastely. "I know you do, Kate, but," he paused, took a deep breath and finished his sentence, "I can't."

The hurt that spread across her face broke him. "What? I thought we—"

"No, Kate, I want you, too," he interrupted. "I'm just scared." He had blurted it out so gracelessly that she jumped a little.

"Babe, what do you mean you're scared?" Kate put her hand gently on Rick's cheek, then moved it down to find his hand.

Trying to work up his courage, he looked down at their joined hands and took a deep breath. Unable to meet her eyes, he said weakly, "I'm a virgin."

"What?" she asked, trying to hide the shock in her voice. "That's it?"

His eyes shot up to meet hers. "What do you mean, that's it?" He was so flustered.

"Rick," she began gently, giving his hand a little squeeze. "That's okay, it doesn't change the way I feel about you. It just helps me understand your hesitance. Why haven't you told me this before?"

He sighed and met her eyes, his filling with hope and gratitude. "I was just afraid you'd think I was a loser or something, but I should have known better." He kissed her quickly.

Smiling at him as she let go of his hand and settled back into the couch, she joked, "Yeah, you should have." Then more seriously, "Do you mind if I ask why you've never been with someone?"

Her face was so gentle, so innocent, that he didn't hesitate with his answer. "I've just never found the right girl." She smiled a little at that, but he continued before she could respond. "When I was in high school, like sophomore year or something like that, I read Anna Karenina." Kate's eyes widened in astonishment. "Anyway, there's a part in the book where Kitty found out that her husband wasn't a virgin when they were married and she cried and cried."

Kate didn't say anything, just looked at him with a look of slight confusion. Seeing that, he explained the connection. "I always imagined that, when I got married, I'd have saved myself completely for my wife. There would be no question that I was completely hers, body, mind and soul."

Nothing was said for quite a few minutes. Finally, Kate pulled him in for a long, slow kiss. "I think that's the most beautiful reason anyone could ever have," she said as she snuggled up into him. He wrapped his arms around her and she sighed deeply, content. "I won't rush you or pressure you into doing anything you don't want to, Rick. I want our first times to be right for both of us."

Rick looked down at her in shock. "You mean you've—you've never. . .?"

"Nope," she said, smiling at him. "I, too, have been waiting for the right person to come along."

She kissed him as he thought, _And I think you might have found him._


	7. Summer Break

They were about ready to go their separate ways for the summer, which actually wasn't too separate, since they were both going home to New York. Rick and Kate made plans to meet up the week after they got back. They decided that since they had spent so much time together at school in California, they'd spend the first half-week of summer vacation with family. They had also decided not to see each other for half of a week because Rick had mentioned something about giving themselves the chance to miss one another, an idea Kate found to be excellent.

Well, it was an excellent idea in theory. Rick had gotten back to New York on a Tuesday, and Kate got home that Wednesday; they had made plans to meet up the upcoming Monday. Just shy of a full week without one another, it was totally doable!

No. No it was not. Kate was sitting at home with her father watching a Yankee's game, but she kept checking her phone to see if she had any texts from Rick. They had agreed that they would text or call for no more than an hour a day. Jim, Kate's dad, picked up on her obsession with her phone.

"What's up, Katie," he asked her, turning down the volume on the tv. "You expecting an important phone call or something?"

Kate sat her phone face down on the couch and turned her full attention to her father. "I was going to wait to tell you, but I might as well just do it now."

Jim's face paled as his mind worked a mile a minute to come up with every single horrible situation Kate could need to tell him about after another semester _alone_ in California.

"I have a boyfriend."

Kate relaxed as her father's color came back to him and he sat back in his recliner once again. "Geez, Katie, I thought you were going to tell me you were dropping out or something!"

Laughing, Kate pulled her feet up and hugged her knees, resting her chin there. "Nah, Dad, you know I'm too stubborn for that." They both laughed.

"So what's this boyfriend's name?" Jim's stomach dropped a bit as he watched his little girl describe this boy she met at Stanford this past fall. He knew what was going on; the way her eyes lit up when she talked about him, how she physically couldn't stop smiling, how she couldn't quit fidgeting as she talked endlessly about how great he was and how they met. His baby girl was in love with this Rick kid.

"And where is Rick from, might I ask?"

"Oh, he's from New York!" She was so excited. "He's in town right now, but since we spend so much time together at school, he suggested that we spend some time apart so that we have a chance to miss one another." Jim nodded his approval at the young man's maturity, then laughed when Kate said, "It's working."

XXXXXXXXXX

When that Monday rolled around, Kate woke up early, despite the fact that she hadn't slept all that well the night before. The first thing she did was check her phone. No text, no call, nothing. She rolled over and tried to sleep some more, but it was useless. She rolled out of bed and padded into the kitchen to find her dad getting ready to make waffles.

"Aw, I was going to bring you breakfast in bed!" Jim looked disappointed.

Kate kissed his cheek. "Sorry, Dad. How about we make them together, like when I was little!"

She laughed when Jim threw her a look, one eyebrow raised so high it almost disappeared. "Okay, but I won't make a mess like that. I'm not six anymore!"

Jim conceded and they made the waffles. Half-way through eating them, though, Kate's phone rang and she nearly tripped trying to get to it. Watching his daughter talk to Rick, he knew how far gone his Katie was. This was it for her. Jim knew because it was the same way he had looked at Johanna.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kate paced anxiously outside the diner. Her whole body was thrumming with excitement. She also felt a little insane because it had only been a few days since she had seen Rick, but the thought of spending one more minute without him seemed physically impossible.

When she finally spotted him making his way through the small crowd of people, she ran toward him and jumped, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, her legs around his waist. He held her with equal excitement and strength.

"Oh my goodness, I missed you so much!" Kate exclaimed as Rick sat her back down on solid ground. She wasted no time, though, and grabbed his face, pulling him down for a kiss.

They broke apart and Rick smiled down at her. "I missed you, too, Kate. I missed you so much."

She looked deep into his ocean blue eyes and before she could stop herself, before she could realize what she was about to say, she smiled from ear to ear and said, "I love you, Rick!"

He pulled away a little bit, shock washing over him. Of course, Kate instantly panicked, thinking she was some crazy needy girlfriend. Apparently, Rick could see it on her face, because he placed his hands on either cheek, rubbed the pads of his thumbs across her cheek bones and said, "Kate, I love you, too. So much. I've never felt like this before and I didn't know what it was until you said that."

Rick's heart pounded as Kate smiled bigger than he had ever seen. "I thought I would be afraid to tell you, but, honestly, it just feels so natural. Like was there ever a time when I didn't love you? It seems impossible. I love you, Richard Alexander Rodgers." She kissed him around their smiles.

"And, Katherine Houghton Beckett, I love you." And with that and another quick kiss, Rick grabbed her hand and led her into the diner.


	8. Spring Break

It was almost spring break of senior year; they were so close to graduating and Kate was almost constantly at war with herself in regards to her relationship with Rick. What would happen to them after graduation? They'd been together for about a year and a half, they were madly in love (or at least she hadn't felt like this about anyone else before), and she couldn't imagine doing life without him. Every time she looked at him, there were butterflies flying chaotic patterns in her belly and her whole being flushed with warmth when she was around him. Whenever he touched her, it felt like her body was humming, a small electrical current that made her feel alive in spite of her fears.

Would they last? If they did get married, what would happen in two or ten or fifty years down the road when they fought, got bored with one another? Could she handle losing him? But did she really want to be in a relationship that wasn't going anywhere? But then, where did relationships go after marriage?

These were the kind of thoughts that plagued Kate almost every waking moment. She would go back and forth, weighing the pros and cons of her relationship with her first (and hopefully only) love. She was pulled from her thoughts by Rick's hand snaking around to squeeze hers. They were on a flight to New York, but not to go home. Kate had asked her father's permission to bring Rick to their cabin for a few days over break. Jim said he'd think about it, but then called a few days later to give the okay.

Kate had been over the moon, never imagining that her dad would let her spend four days with her boyfriend. . .under the same roof. . .unsupervised. She wasn't about to question it, though, excited to spend some one-on-one time with Rick.

By the time they got to the cabin on Monday morning, Kate was sick of being cooped up in vehicles. Sitting her bags down in her room, she found Rick in the living room, admiring the view from the large bay window.

"Hey," she said gently so as not to startle him. He turned and smiled at her. "You wanna go for a walk?"

"Sounds great," he said, holding his hand out for her to take. She did, and they made their way outside. They strolled down one of the shorter paths which led to a clearing in the woods not too far from the cabin.

She heard Rick take a deep breath and leaned into his arm. "My parents and I used to have picnics here when I was little. They would sit over there," she pointed to an area off to the side, "and I would eat my lunch and then run around doing cartwheels or practicing my softball swing, whatever I was into at the time."

Rick let go of Kate's hand and wrapped his arm around her, imagining a tiny Kate Beckett prancing through the woods. He smiled at the thought. "I bet you were adorable."

Kate chuckled and moved away from Rick, slowly strolling around the clearing, walking down memory lane. "I miss my mom."

Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, trying to support her the only way he knew how. "I can't even imagine what that's like. . .to lose your mom like that. I bet she was great."

"Oh, she was," Kate began. She then told Rick a string of stories about her mom and her at the cabin, some of which made him laugh, some of which made him squeeze her hand as they made their way back to the cabin for lunch. By the time they reached the cabin, Rick kissed Kate gently on the forehead and told her to relax on the couch while he made lunch.

A half-hour later, Rick came around the island to place the plates of food on the dining room table only to glance over to the couch and see Kate fast asleep. He smiled at her, figuring the emotion of the morning had gotten to her, so he covered her up with the blanket on the back of the couch. "I love you," he whispered as he sat down at the table and ate his lunch.

Kate woke up an hour later to find Rick in the chair across from her typing away on his computer. "Oh, Rick," she said. "Why didn't you wake me?"

He peered over his computer at her, his glasses making him look like a cute nerd and Kate's smile grew. "I just figured you'd need the sleep after our walk. Besides, you're cute when you sleep."

Rolling her eyes, Kate got up and started digging in the fridge for leftovers. "There's a plate in the microwave for you."

Kate smiled over her shoulder at him, sat the plate on the island, and dug in. They spent the rest of the day outside exploring the woods, coming back for dinner, and then to bed for the night. (Rick slept in Kate's dad's room so there would be no funny business, the couple remaining true to their promises.)

When they woke up the next day, Kate found that Rick was acting funny. He seemed just a little more distant than normal, preoccupied, maybe. She had asked him what was wrong and he had said that everything was fine. Kate shrugged it off, thinking it was maybe in her head. Rick seemed to perk up when they went swimming in the lake at the back of the cabin, though; even playful.

Wednesday, when Kate came into the living room, Rick was making waffles.

"Good morning, handsome," Kate said as she admired him from behind, then jumped as he nearly dropped the bowl of batter at her words.

He turned around after setting the bowl down, kissing Kate sweetly. "Sorry, babe, I didn't hear you."

She chuckled and sat down at the island, waiting to be served. She would offer to help if she thought he would let her. Rick loved making her breakfast no matter what time of day it was.

"So what do you want to do today," Kate asked, swiveling back and forth on the barstool.

Rick slid a plate with a huge waffle her way followed shortly by the syrup. "I figured we could take another walk. It's nice outside."

Kate nodded her agreement as she ate her waffle. When they were both done eating, they put on their shoes and headed out. They took one of the longer trails, one Kate said was her favorite because it led to the top of this waterfall she and her dad used to jump off of when she was little. It was her favorite spot in the woods, she had told him.

Rick couldn't deny that it was beautiful when they got there. He and Kate sat down on a rock near the edge and just took in the scenery. "Breathtaking," Rick said as he looked at the view.

"Yeah," Kate sighed. "I know."

Several minutes later, Kate rose. "Well we should probably start heading back if we want to get back in time for a late lunch." She had expected Rick to be right behind her when she began the lengthy hike back to the cabin, but she turned around at his voice. It was farther away than it should have been.

"Kate!"

Confusion clouded her expression as she made her way toward him; he obviously wasn't going to follow her. "Yeah?"

"You said you were saving yourself for the right person, right?" His hands twisted in front of him. "Someone special?"

Kate sighed a little. "I did, Rick. I did say that, and I haven't changed my mind."

A small smile grew on Rick's face as he began. "Well I haven't either. I've been saving myself for my wife, Kate."

"Okay. . .?" Kate said, looking even more confused.

He got down on one knee, pulled a ring box out of his pocket, and opened it up to reveal a reasonably sized diamond engagement ring.

"I've been saving myself for you, Kate, if you'll be my wife."

Hands flying to her gaping mouth, tears springing to her eyes, Kate stared. She looked down at the wonderful man she had come to love so much over the past year and a half, the man whose intentions she had questioned more than once of late, the man who had made her happier and sadder and madder than she ever thought possible. She looked at him and could think of nothing but 'yes'. Her whole being screamed it, yearned for her to say yes, and in that moment, all the worries of the past few months washed away. They would survive, they would love, they would be always.

"Well," Rick asked, slight worry in his eyes.

Kate's hands fell away from her mouth to reveal her huge smile and she nodded her head. Rick beamed at her as she finally found her voice. "Yes! Of course, I'll marry you, Rick. God, yes!" They both laughed as he stood, put the ring on her finger, and picked her up into a giant hug, spinning her around until she squealed.

Finally setting her down, Rick kissed her sweetly on the lips and said, "I love you so much, Kate. I'll never be able to tell you enough how much I love you, but I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to show you."

The last few tears falling gently down her cheeks, she kissed him again and said, "Me, too, Rick. Me, too."


	9. The Big Day

Kate's heart was pounding, but she couldn't keep the smile from her face. There was also a part of her that was mourning this day because her mom couldn't be here with her to celebrate this important milestone of her life. She shook the thought from her mind as her soon-to-be mother-in-law entered the room with a flourish.

"Oh, Katherine, darling, you look simply fabulous," Martha chirped as she swept through the room and sat down in front of the young woman. Kate smiled at her before she continued. "I know your mother is looking down on you with such pride." Martha placed a hand on Kate's cheek as Kate looked at the floor.

"Thank you, Martha," Kate said. "And I'm glad that you can be here since she can't."

Martha offered Kate a sad smile and then stood. "Well I'm off to check on the groom," she winked at Kate, who blushed. "Almost show time!"

Kate's stomach turned over at Martha's words and she took a deep breath, swallowing the nerves that had suddenly made themselves known. She looked at herself in the mirror as her bridesmaids Megan, Kayleigh, Lanie, and Tara bustled around behind her. She checked over her makeup: it was done to perfection; the smoky eye, shades of purple bringing out the flecks of color in her eyes. She had decided to do her hair half up and half down, pinned back with a clip her mother had worn, her soft curls tickling her back above her dress.

And the dress. . . oh, the dress. It was perfect. It had been her mother's, but she'd had it altered so that the sleeves were gone. It had been transformed from a long-sleeved, poofy shouldered, high collared dress from the 70s to a beautiful strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline. It fitted to perfection, hugging her waist and flaring out at her hips. There were little flowers embroidered on it with little beads in the middle.

Kate stood when she heard a knock on the door. Her dad stepped in and beamed at his little girl. "Just beautiful," he said. Kate smiled at him. "You look just like your mother, Katie."

Tears brimmed in Kate's eyes for the briefest of moments and she said, "Thanks, Dad."

Jim hugged her, kissed her cheek and said, "I'll be waiting right outside. The wedding starts in ten minutes."

Again, Kate's stomach flipped and she felt herself begin to shake ever so slightly. As Jim backed out of the room, the bridesmaids swarmed on her, touching up her makeup, adding jewelry (a necklace, a bracelet, and her mother's ring), and adding even more hairspray. Megan placed her heels in front of her and she slid one foot in, then the other, focusing on her breathing.

"Shit, guys, I'm so nervous." Kate said, laughing at how insane it was that she should be this nervous. It was just Rick. She loved Rick. . .but she missed her mom.

As they should have, the girls fawned over her, telling her how beautiful she was, how happy they were for her, how much they didn't hate their dresses, that she shouldn't be nervous, and she felt better. Moments later, there was a knock on the door.

"Katie?" She looked at her dad like a deer in the headlights. "It's time."

XXXXXXXXXX

Rick stood in his dressing room surrounded by two frat brothers, a high school friend, and his cousin, waiting for the moment when he could claim that he was no longer a single man. Butterflies were flittering around his stomach willy-nilly, and his cousin could tell. They were close growing up, the years only strengthening their bond.

"Here." Rick looked over and saw that Chase was offering a flask. Rick smiled and took a swing, cringing a little as the warm liquid slid down his throat.

"Thanks," he said as he took one last look in the mirror. His black suit and royal blue vest made his eyes pop (according to Kate) and his hair, which he had wanted to gel down and tame, was flopping in his face, though it was a little _more_ tamed than normal. When he had told Kate how he wanted to appear, she begged him to leave his hair somewhat like he normally wore it because that was the Rick she fell in love with, floppy hair and all. He couldn't help but agree.

The flask had been passed around the room again and had made its way back to Rick. He waved it away, not wanting to be anywhere near tipsy when he married the woman of his dreams. The boys made a toast and took one last swing (except Rick, who drank water), and then exited the room when Martha knocked on the door.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kate stood on the other side of the doors from the room where Rick was waiting for her. Her bridesmaids were all lined up and ready to go and her heart absolutely pounded as she heard the beginning of the song River Flows in You by Yiruma; it was go time.

The doors swung open and the bridesmaids began their walk down the aisle. Kate stood immobile, frozen in her place, just like in high school before speaking in front of a class. Then, suddenly, it was time to move. She rounded the corner and saw the entrance to the venue.

And then she saw him. Rick was there, at the end of the aisle, just like he should be. He was standing tall and beautiful and maybe even a little misty. Her heart lifted and she never thought she could smile so wide; she was in trouble if her cheeks already hurt.

It seemed like before Kate could even blink, it was time for the vows. Rick started.

"Kate," he took her hands and looked her in the eye. "You are the most wonderful woman I've ever met. From the first moment I met you, I knew my life would never be the same. I love you so much. You are my jewel and I promise you in front of God and everyone here that I will protect you, support you, encourage you, and love you no matter what life throws at us. Always."

He wiped away the tear that was sliding down Kate's cheek and kissed her quickly before the minister could stop him. Then it was Kate's turn.

She took a deep breath and gave him a small smile. "My sweet Rick," he smiled back at her. "I never knew I could feel this way about another human being. I feel so much for you, it's hard to describe, but I know that I love you _fiercely_. You make my life busy, chaotic, and magically happy. You brought laughter back into my life when I thought I had lost it forever and I will spend my whole existence trying to make you feel the same. _Always_."

Rick couldn't react but to smooth his thumbs over Kate's knuckles and crinkle his eyes with a wide smile. There was a pause in the ceremony and Kate heard several sniffles and she was once again overwhelmed by her love for the man standing in front of her. Her eyes welled up and he huffed a laugh, obviously feeling the same way toward her.

The rest of the ceremony passed by in a moment and when the minister pronounced them husband and wife, Kate laughed out loud as she framed his face with her hands and planted a kiss on him. It lasted just a little bit longer than might have been socially acceptable and that caused the crowd to whoop and cheer.

Finally breaking apart, Rick grabbed Kate's hand and led her back down the aisle and out the front door. The limo was waiting to drive them to the reception. Before that, they went to a park and took a few more pictures, and then danced until the early hours of the morning with their family and friends.

When they made it to the hotel they would spend the night in before they left for their honeymoon in Jamaica, Rick stopped at the door. "You ready to start our life together, Mrs. Rodgers?"

Kate squealed with delight and kissed his cheek when Rick swooped down and picked her up, carrying her over the threshold. "More than you will ever know, Mr. Rodgers."


	10. Epilogue

Seven years and two kids later found Rick and Kate sitting in the exact same places they had been sitting when they first met. It was something they liked to do every few years; they would leave the kids with his mom or her dad and go back to the Stanford library. Rick's writing career had taken off and he was known as Castle now, so when he showed up at his alma mater, he used the excuse of throwing money at them so they wouldn't look creepy.

He would, occasionally, give them money for a new expansion or collection they were after. But today's visit was about something else completely. They were in California for vacation, Martha watching Elizabeth and Ben, and decided to leave the kids and take a road trip for the day. The woman at the desk greeted Rick and Kate with a smile and a wave as they walked past, hand-in-hand, and headed for their special spot.

Luckily for them, there was no one sitting at their table, or where their table had been before the updates. They sat down and just looked at one another for a moment before Kate began to speak. She was about to tell him she had a surprise for him and slide the pregnancy test from her bag when they heard something.

Their heads whipped toward one another. The sound wasn't much, but it was familiar: the soft creak of the book stack behind Rick. Their eyes widened in disbelief, but when they didn't hear anything else, they shook it off, thought maybe it was just the nostalgia of where they were.

Kate was just about to speak up again when they heard a breathy sigh from the same spot. "No way," Kate said, a little more joyously than she maybe should have. These were kids, after all.

Rick failed to hide his laughter behind the palm of his hand and Kate smiled from ear to ear. When they heard a barely stifled moan, they nearly exploded into fits of giggles.

"Oh my goodness, Kate, do you remember when we had lunch together that day _really_ early into our relationship when—"

"We hatched our plan to prank the next couple we heard?" Kate cut him off, finishing his sentence, something that had sort of become their trade mark.

"YES!" Rick whispered gleefully. "But once we do it, we have to make a run for it, okay?"

The excitement was palpable between the two, not because they were about to make a coupling couple's big moment horribly awkward, but because they never thought they would get to relive their past.

They sat there, whispering to one another quietly about the kids, his books, her job, waiting for the right moment to exact their revenge. Only, something had changed in the nine and a half years that they went through this the first time: they had had sex. So when this happened to them the first time, they were just uncomfortable. Now, though, the noises they were hearing reminded them of the ones they made during the more pleasant aspects of their relationship.

Rick could tell Kate was being affected because a blush was spreading up from her chest and her eyes were wide. _Focus,_ she thought to herself.

They heard another noise from the couple and decided that it wouldn't be long. The moans were becoming more high-pitched and the girl was starting to use some especially dirty words. Rick held his hand out, the smile from earlier still present, and she took his hand, allowing him to lead her to the stacks.

Standing on the opposite side of the stack from the couple, Rick and Kate waited. The creaking of the case became more frantic and uncontrolled, the girl's squeals were growing louder.

"You ready?" Rick chuckled.

Kate reached her hand down, surprising Rick by cupping him through his pants and laughing when he jumped. "Always."

They heard the boy grunting and the girl shouted. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rick and Kate yelled along with them. They heard an almost comical scramble as the two on the other side ripped apart and ran off, pulling their clothes back up as they went, laughing all the while.

Briskly walking away and out of the library, Rick and Kate laughed at the reaction from the kids. They strolled through campus arm-in-arm, telling stories, reliving memories. Finally, there was a lull in the conversation and they continued on in comfortable silence, until. . .

"Oh, Rick, I have a surprise for you."

He squeezed her arm and looked as excited as a small child eating candy for breakfast. "I love surprises! Ooh! Does it have anything to do with that outfit I bought you last week?"

Laughing, Kate squeezed Rick's arm. "Well that depends on what you think of the news," she paused, allowing his confusion to process, then continued, "and whether or not I'll still fit into it."

Rick looked at her, clearly still confused. She slipped her hand in her purse, wrapping her fingers around the positive test. Pulling it out of her bag, she looked at him and smiled. "You interested in another chance to convince me to name it Cosmo?"

Staring at the test in disbelief, Rick's face absolutely lit up when the realization hit him. He pulled her into a kiss, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up to spin around. They were both laughing when he put her down and kissed her again.

"I love you so much, Kate," he said.

Smiling at him, she whispered, "I love you, too."


End file.
